I want to do a morning ride to Sassafras and back. I want a safe route there and back. Weekday leaving at say 0600 and back by 0900 ex Southbank. I was thinking out on the Nepean to North Road then following that out. Springvale Rd, Ferntree Gully Rd, Burwood Hwy to the base...

Same back. Any thoughts or alternatives. I have ridden there about 10 or more times before, but not for about 7yrs or so.

if your coming from southbank I would take alexander avenue and up through south yarra & toorak and get onto Toorak road which then become burwood hwy into moutain hwy to the 1:20 and head back. Only issue is your going to get traffic heading back into the city around 9, so maybe the eastlink and then maybe the eastern fwy trail back?

Personally I think you would be far safer heading along the bike track on the eastern freeway. There are parts of burwood highway where it's just not safe for cyclists, especially in the section going through Vermont. Unless you are comfortable riding in a 80km zone (which is just before Springdale road).

you can take a shared path - i can't keep up with all the names - way out east - the Main Yarra Trail, Gardiner's Ck Trail. i'm unsure where it ends, but you can miss most of the craziness. riding out in traffic at that time on a workday doesn't appeal to me.

south bank to richmond, past ikea, up barkers rd to mont albert rd or continue on to maroondah hwy, then down to maroondah hwy, to ringwood then jump on the path by riding up and over the cycle bridge, then follow the path and it takes you to just before the basin.

or this is more direct richmond past ikea up barkers rd, turn right at the t intesection burke rd then left into canteburry,go direct canterbeurry rd then up boronia rd at mitcham then left into mountain hwy and your at the basin, should be good on the way in, but coming back you will be in peak hour traffic, canteburry is a narrow rd and not good in peak hour, maroondah is definitely better on the way back into town

from the basin you will be on the 1:20 lovely little 7km ride at 5% to sassafras

personally i think you will be pushing it to get it completed by 9, give it a try one weekend

Will be close to a 100km ride if you go MYT and onto Eastern Fwy trail and Eastlink trail, also dont think there is much lighting along there either. Too cold in the early mornings ATM to be doing this, chuck a sickie a go in the middle of the day.

ft_critical wrote:I want to do a morning ride to Sassafras and back. I want a safe route there and back. Weekday leaving at say 0600 and back by 0900 ex Southbank. I was thinking out on the Nepean to North Road then following that out. Springvale Rd, Ferntree Gully Rd, Burwood Hwy to the base...

Same back. Any thoughts or alternatives. I have ridden there about 10 or more times before, but not for about 7yrs or so.

Thanks for your advice.

I would us Canturbury Rd and make a right hand turn into Baronia Rd and left hand turn into Mountain Highway all the way to 1:20 which will take you up to Sassafras. Easiest and safest way to the top.

You can check the Bicycle Victoria forum in the Eastern Suburbs MRR thread because a number of them do take a ride on weekdays that direction.

silkishuge wrote:I would us Canturbury Rd and make a right hand turn into Baronia Rd and left hand turn into Mountain Highway all the way to 1:20 which will take you up to Sassafras. Easiest and safest way to the top.

canterbury road is quite good, except for that uphill pinch just after all the truck shops in croydon(?) which gets quite narrow. i hate that bit.

yarravalleyplodder wrote:I also think you would struggle to get from southbank to sassafras and back in 3 hours

Thanks to everyone for the advice, I missed some of it.

Yes, the light sequences are terrible. I went out on North Road. Actually, because I had to see friends in Wheelers Hill in the evening I rode all the major roads. Riding out is fine because of the bus lanes, but with no hard shoulder riding in was pretty scarry.

Worst was, as you say I couldn't make it to Sassafras, so I went up Napoleon Ave. I saw a dump truck with dog trailer at the lights opposite. I was on the look out for it. I stayed over, and sure enough he didn't wait for on coming traffic to clear, he went through. If I hadn't gone off onto the gravel I would have been eaten by the dog trailer. Nothing against Melb drivers.

Melb roads are fantastic and the drivers seemed pretty good. In truth I felt pretty bad riding in rush hour. I came back from my friends on Ferntree Gully road at about 9pm. Fantastic, no traffic at all.

For the most off road from Southbank (not necessarily the safest IMO as paths present their own issues) would be MYT, GCTto Nettleton reserve. Residential streets to Highbury rd which is followed to its end. Then there is a sealed path that follows Dandenong creek till nearly all the way to the Basin.

If riding out that way Weekday mornings, on the return I'll take Mountain hwy (the least pleasant section) then a short distance along Burwood hwy before taking the first opportunity to cut across to Highbury rd. Have taken the bike path mentioned above once from around Bayswater to Burwood hwy but unless resurfaced was rough in places

After work weekdays, I'll take Highbury rd to Blackburn rd, then up this and onto Burwood hwy then Mountain hwy. Traffic is heavy but I don't find too unreasonable. Definitely prefer Mountain hwy rather than continuing on Burwood hwy to Upper Ferntree Gully. Definitely feels like more traffic continues this way up to Belgrave and beyond.